meston



(No Model.)

0. R. 82: A. W. MEST ON. ELECTRIC GUT-OUT AND SAFETY DEVICE.

No. 470,204. Patented Mar. 8, 1892.

7 4/ it ffi/gfg UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES R. MESTON AND ALEXANDER IV. MESTON, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNORS TO THE EMERSON ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC CUT-OUT AND SAFETY DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 470,204, dated March 8, 1892.

Application filed January 12, 1891. Serial No. 377,451. (No model.)

T all wh m i may OOH/067%: Asecond feature embraces the combination, Be it known that we, CHARLES R. MESTON with a base having metallic terminals and and ALEXANDER W. MESTON, citizens of the ridges or projections, of a cover having me- United States, residing at St. Louis, in the tallic terminals and yielding or spring tongues State of Missouri, have invented certain new adapted to engage the ridges on the base and and usefnlImpi-ovementsin Electric Cut-Outs preserve this contact between the contactand Safety Devices; and we hereby declare pieces and prevent the accidental displacethe following to be a full, clear, and exact de' ment of the cover. scription of the same, reference being had to There are other minor features of invention, [0 the accompanying drawings, in which all as will hereinafter more fully appear.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a circular \Ve will now proceed to describe our invencut-ont embodying our invention and of a tion more fully, so that others skilled in the form suitable forpendent incandescent lamps art to which it appertains may apply the and various other electrical connections. Fig. same.

I 5 2 is a perspective View of the base, showing In the drawings, A indicates the base-block the cavity therein for the reception of the conand B the cover, of some suitable insulating tact-pieces and fuse-clips carried by the cover. material and preferably of the circular form Fig. 3 is a similar view of the cover, showing shown in the drawings. The base-block Ais the contact-pieces and fuse-clips attached dished out or recessed, as at a, for the recepzo thereto; and Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view tion of the cover and to allow sufficient room of one of the contact-pieces and fuse-clips, for the terminals and fusible strips attached to taken on the line at :0, Fig. 3. the inner surface of said cover and may be Like symbols refer to like parts wherever radially grooved at opposite points for the y 0301111 reception of the metal contact-pieces 1 1 and 25 Our invention relates to the construction 2 2, by which connection is made with the of thermal cut-outs or electrical cut-outs of usual leads or main conductors C C. The that class wherein fusible connections are metallic contact-pieces 1 1 are fastened to interposed between the terminals and the the base A in the radial grooves or recesses leads or mainconductors, and has for its obby means of screws or in other suitable man- 0 ject to simplify the devices, insure perfect ner, so as to lie in a plane parallel with and connection and contact, and facilitate the atabout midway between the planes of the bottaching and detaching of the devices and the tom and top of the cavity a, and said pieces insertion and renewal of the fusible connecl l overhang or project into said recess a tions. some distance to form catches to coact with 3 5 To this end the main feature embraces the the metallic contact-pieces of the cover in secombination, with a base having metallic concuring the cover to the base. tact-pieces, of a cover having metallic con- 2 2 are metal clips or binding-pieces se-- tact-pieces and provided with reflexed springcured by screws as shown, or in other suitable tongues bent around under said eontactmanner, and said clips are employed to bind 40 pieces and held in place thereby, so as to form the contact-pieces 1 1 to the leads C C.

with said contact pieces wedge shaped IVithin the cavity a of the base-block A, grooves or notches, into wlrich the fusible and preferably atpoints adjacent to themetal connections are drawn, the spring-tongue contact-pieces, (which serve as catches,) are holding the same in place and maintaining small ridges or projections 3 3, for a purpose 45 electric contact between the fusible connecwhich will hereinafter appear. The base- 5 tion and the contact piece. These springpiece A is also provided with screw-holes (Z or tongues also serve to insure perfect contact some equivalent means of attaching it to a with the engaging contact-pieces of the base, ceiling, wall, or other support.

at the same time perfecting by their com- 13 indicates the cover of the device, which,

50 pression contact of the fusible connection. like the base-block, is of some insulating maroo terial, and is preferably formed with a central recess 1), having a hole-c for the passage of the terminals 4 4, and with radially-arranged seats for the metallic contact-pieces 5, 6, 7, and 8, said contact-pieces being held in position in any suitable manner, but-preferably by screws, as indicated in the draw lngs.

o, 6, 7, and 8 indicatea series of springtongues corresponding in number with the metallic contact-pieces of the cover 13, and preferably of U form, or reflexed over said contact-pieces, for securing the fusible strips 9 9, which springs are compressed when the cover is in position on the base-block and metallic contact-pieces 1 l of the base-block.

Two of the metallic contact-pieces which are attached to the coverviz., 5 and 6-are oppositely placed, or so placed as to correspond with the metallic. contact-pieces 1 1 of the base-block, and are allowed to overhang the recesses 10 10'or-to project beyond the cover in such manner that when the cover 13 is ap plied to the base-block A they will take under the contact-pieces 1 1 and form therewith a-catch for securing the base-block A 1 with. a base-block h-avin g projecting contact- :pieces-and a projection or ridg'e,of a detachand cover l3 together. l he remain-ing'metal contact-pieces of the:coverviz., 7 and 8need not .project,:but are provided 'with bindingscrews', orsome;other zprovision isimade fo1= attaching the, terminals 4 4.

9 9 indicate fusible strips, which are interposedibetween the terminals and the. main conductors by passing the endsfthereOf between the springs'5 6 7 and 8 and the respective contact-pieces 5, 6, 7, and 8, substantially as indic'ated'in Fig. 30f the drawings; Inapplying-the cut-out hereinbefore de scribed the base-block A is secured in position by'su-itable meanss.uch as screws-and the'contact-pieces 1 1 secured to the leads-O O by thebinding-clips 2 2. The terminals 4 4 are passed throughthe hole a of the cover B and securedto=themetalcontact pieces 7 8, and the fusible strips 9- arefpassed'under the springs 5 6 7 8, as indicated in Fig. 3, after which'the cover B is placed on the base-block A, so that the recesses 10 10 will register'with the metallic contact-pieces 1 1. The cover is forced down and rotated until the projecting endsxof contact-pieces 5 and 6 of cover B pass under the contact-pieces 1 1 of the base-block A,-thus locking the parts together. In this-rotation the springs 5 and 6 will'pass beyond theridges 3'3 and serve as a ratchet or check to prevent the accidental reverse rotation of cover B and the displacement or disconnection of the parts, though the resistance will not be sufficient to prevent the ready separation of the parts when desired.- The springs 5- 6, &c.,-will haveanother function-a ia, a tendency to force the cover away from the baseblock and thus insure perfect contact between the contact-pieces 1 1 and 5 and 6-and the compression of the springs between the.

base-block and cover when said springs are reflexed over the contact-pieces 5 .6, &c.,'and

used as spring-clips for the fusible strips 9 9,

will force the fusible strips down on the contact:pieces and insure perfect electrical connections between the'leads and the terminals .8

and throughout the device.

By the means hereinbefore described we are enabled to use the fusible connections 1n the form of wire, which is the cheapest and most convenient form, and we are also enabled to renewthe said fusibleconnections readily without the aid of tools. WVe are enabled to provide rigid contact-pieces, whereby "the cap is attached to the base which 1531116665- sary for proper strengthif any-considerable weight is suspended from the cut-out, and at the same time, by means of the spring-tongues, perfect contact is at all times secured between said pieces, and by the engagement of said tongues with the ridges in the base accidental displacement of the capis rendered impossible. 7

Having thus described the nature, operation, and advantages of our 1I1V6l1t-10I1,Wl1til we claim,.and desire to secure b y Letters Patcut, is'- '1. In an electric cut-out,'tl1e combination,

able cover having projecting contact-pieces adapted to take underthe contact-pieces of the base-block and an interposed sprlngtongue arranged to engage with theridge or projection on the base-block when thecontactpieces are in juxtaposition,substantiallyas and for the purposes specified.

2. In an electric'cut-out, the combination, with-a base-block having projecting contactpieces, of a detachable cover having a ser es of contact-pieces each provided with a reflexed spring-tongue forming springclips therewith, two of said contact-pieces projecting and arranged to take'under thecontactpieces of the base-block, and said springtonguesarranged and adapted topress against the interior of the base,-substantially as and for'the purpose specified.

3. In an electriecut-ouh'the combination, with a baseblock having projections or ridges andprojectingcontact pieces, of a detachable cover having projecting contactpieces adapted to take under-the contact-pieces of the base and provided with refiexed springtongues, and fuse-clips arranged to engage with the projections or ridges on the base block when the contact-piecesare in'ju'xtaposition, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. In an electric cut-out, the combination, with a base-block having projecting contact- K i l central recess, of a detachable cover having a recessed periphery and rigid contact-pieces radially arranged to take under the contactpieces of the base-block, and reflexed springtongue clips adapted to engage with the projections or ridges on the base-b1ock,substan tially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures, in presence of two witnesses, this 10th day of January, 1891.

CHARLES R. MESTON. ALEXANDER W. MESTON. Witnesses:

WALTER ATKINSON, CHAS. MOCUNE. 

